OBSCURE MESSIANIC RUMBLINGS

Messianic prophecy is a cloud covered evening sky. The stars are shinning, although unseen and obscured by the clouds. Messianic prophecies are purposely obscure:

·       But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Corinthians 2:7-8 ESV)

Here is one example of this principle:

·       The scepter [the symbol of the king] shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet [a descendant], Until Shiloh [“He comes to whom it belongs;” a translation from the Hebrew]; And to Him shall be the obedience [allegiance] of the people. (Genesis 49:10 NKJV)

Who is this mysterious “Shiloh?” According to this prophecy, He is a descendant of Judah, the tribe of David, who will be a very extraordinary king. Ezekiel seems to provide further commentary on this verse:

·       "And what if the sword despises even the scepter? The scepter [king] shall be no more," says the Lord GOD…"Remove the turban, and take off the crown; Nothing shall remain the same…Overthrown, overthrown, I will make it overthrown! It [the line of Davidic kings] shall be no longer, Until He comes whose right it [the kingship] is, and I will give it to Him."  (Ezekiel 21:13-27)

This seems to be a reference to “Shiloh” (Genesis 49:10). The promised line of kings shall be overthrown until the appointed Shiloh comes. However, Shiloh, the offspring of David, and the One whose right and destiny is Israel’s crown, will initially be rejected:

·       "Inasmuch as these people [of Judah] refused The waters of Shiloah [Messiah] that flow softly, And rejoice in [their trust in their alliances with] Rezin and in Remaliah's son; Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them The waters of the River, strong and mighty-- The king of Assyria and all his glory; He will go up over all his channels [the boarders of Judah] and go over all his banks. He will pass through Judah, He will overflow and pass over, He will reach up to the neck; And the stretching out of his wings Will fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel. Be shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Give ear, all you from far countries. Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces; Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; Speak the word, but it will not stand, For God is with us." [“Immanuel,” in the Hebrew] (Isaiah 8:6-10)

Although Judah (and previously the northern kingdom of Israel) had rejected their Messiah, their Messiah, Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14), would stop mighty Assyria’s advance at Jerusalem, the “neck.”

However, if Shiloh is rejected, there must be more to the story, since it is prophesied that He will reign (Genesis 49:10). But how could Shiloh be rejected if He hadn’t yet come? Well, it seems that He was already in their midst:

·       …and all [Israel] drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:4)

As the evil prophet Balaam had declared, Israel’s King had been in their midst, even though He was far off:

·       "I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star [Rev. 22:16] shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and batter the brow of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult. And Edom shall be a possession; Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly.  Out of Jacob One shall have dominion, and destroy the remains of the city." (Numbers 24:17-19)

The rumblings of Messiah could be heard throughout Israel by those who had ears to hear.